Web-holder for knitting-machines.



I H. F. BERRY. WEB HOLDER FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION TILED JULYll'T. 1908.

Patented May 4, 1909.

FIG-1' FIG.4..

'wrrnsssss UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY F. BERRY, OF LAO'ONIA, NEW HAMPSHIRE; ASSIGNOR TO E. JENOKES MANUFAC- TURING COMPANY, OF PAWTUOKET, RH ISLAND.

ODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF RHODE WEB-iHOLDE R FOR KNITTING-MACHINES.

No; 920,418. Specification of Application filed July 17,

1908. Serial No. 43,954.

. To all whom it may concern:

it appertainsto make and use the same.

The invention relates to knitting machines,

and more especially to the construction and arrangement of the web holders. or sinkers which act to hold down the fabric as the needles rise through the loops during the knitting.

In circular knitting machines the web holdersor sinkers are usually mounted and guided in radial slots formed .in the upper end of the needle cylinder and in the sin er ring which is secured to the upper end of the needle cylinder. The sinkers are provided with web enga ing fin ers or hooks which overlieand hol down t e loops of the fabric as the -needies rise through them, and in order that the sinkers may effectively resist the u ward strain to which they are subjecte it has been found desirable to provide devices for holding down the sinkers at their inner ends. In machines in which means are rovided for retaining and holding down the sinkers at their-inner ends as well asat their outer ends, the sinkers and retaining devices as heretofore constructed have presented opposing surf-aces or shoulders so arranged that they move toward each other as the sinkers are advanced. These opposing. surfaces form pockets or recesses in which the lint collects, so that it acts to resist the advance of the sinkers. The resistance offered by the lint produces wear and strain upon the sinkers and sinker operating cams, and the packing of the lint between the o posing surfaces will finally prevent the arfvance of the sinkers to the pro r holding osition, with resulting impe ec-tions in the fabric being knit. It is necessary, therefore, for the operator to frequently remove the lint from between the opposing surfaces on the sinkers and their guiding and'retaining devices,'and this has also required the removal of the sinkers in the constructions heretofore in use. This,

collection of lint, and the resulting wear upon the parts, and breakage of sinkers, and the necessity for frequent removal of the sinkers, has been a serious objection to the use of this type of sinker construction.

It is the object .of the present invention to provide a construction of sinkers and uidin and retaining devices which is free from tlie objections outlined, and which is not subject to collection of lint in a manner which will'interfere with the operation of the sinkers, or require their removal inorder that any collection of the lint may be removed.

To this end one feature of, the invention contemplates the provision of sinkers and retaining devices acting to hold down the inner ends of the sinkers so constructed and arranged that no opposing surfaces are presented upon the sinkers and the guiding devices which move relatively'toward each other as the sinkers are advanced to holding position. N 0 pockets or recesses are thereinterfere with the advance of the sinkers. The specific construction and arrangement of the sinkers and cooperating retaining devices is not material to this feature of the invention in its broader aspects, and may be varied without departing from the invention. I refer, however, to provide the sinkers w1th one or more fingers which extend rearwardly from their inner ends and pass radially outward through retaining slots formed in the upper end of the needle cylinder and cooperate with the slots in holding down the inner ends of the sinkers. This construction of sinker constitutes a further feature of the invention.

sinkers between the fingers and body of the sinker, or between adjacent fingers, are open at their outer ends, so that there is no surface on the sinker opposing the outer peri hery of the part of the cylinder in which the retaining slots are formed. The closed ends fore formed in which the lint may collect and With this constructlon of sinker, the slots or recesses in the of 'the slotsor recesses in the sinkers are within the needle cylinder where the lint is not liable .to collect in them, and where any lint which may collect does not interfere with the advance movement of the sinkers, and-may be readily removed without removingthe sinkers The sinkers are practically self cleaning, while both-ends'are efficiently guided and retained against upward as well ner ends of a throat ring slotted on its u per d lower edges for the passage of the sin ers", 2% secured within the cylinder and forming its upper end. I

Thefeatures of the invention will be readily understood from an inspection of the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Fr re 1 is a vertical sectional view through one side of a needle cylinder showing the preferred form of sinker construction, the sinker being shown in advanced or holding osition;

Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing t e upper end of the cylinder with the sinker retracted in position for the drawing of the loops by the needles; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a sinker on an enlarged scale; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of the throat ring of the need e cylinder; and Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view through the throat ring. As shown in the drawings, the needle cylinder 1 is provided with the usual vertical vgrooves in' which the needles 2 are mounted to reci rocate vertically.

A sinker ring 3 is secure to the upper end of the needle cylinder, and is rov1 ed on its upper face wlth a series of ra ially extending grooves in which the sinkers 4 are mounted and guided. The sinkers are reciprocated by the usual sinker cam ring indicated at 5, which is provided with a sinker operating cam rib 6. The sinkers are provided with .the usual web holding hooks or fingers 7 which overlie the edge of the fabric when the sinkers are in the position indicated in Fig. 1, and hold down the fabric as the needles rise through the loops, and which are withdrawn from hold ing osition, as indicated in Fig. 2 when the nee les are to draw newloops during the knitting operation. The outer ends of the sinkers are prevented from rising in the sinker ring by the sinker cam ring which overlies them. The sinkers extend forward from the web retainin hooks and are uided and supported latera l by radial s ots 8 formed in the upper en of the needle cylinder. The inner ends of the sinkers are held down by means of retaining fingers 9 Wl.l0l1 extend radially outward or rearwardly of the sinkers, and pass through guiding'and retaining slots 10. The slots are formed in the upper end of the cylinder immediately below the slots 8 from which they are se arated by Webs 11 which form a ring-for hoTdin down the inner ends of the sinkers. The ho ding down fingers 9 pass into and out of the annular space 12 between the sinker ring and the upper end of the needlevcylinder as the sinkers are reciprocated. With this construotion, the inner ends of the slots or recesses 13 between the fingers 9 and the bodies of the sinkers are open, so that the sinkers do not present shoulders opposing the shoulders formed by the outer side of the hold down ring 11 and no opposing surfaces are therefore presented upon the sinkers and hold down rlng which move toward each other when the sinkers are advanced. The closed ends of the slots 13 in the sinkers are on the inner side of the hold down ring 11,

and are thus within the needle cylinder where they are covered by the fabric as it passes down within the needle 0 binder, and where there will be comparative y little collection of lint. The space between the inner ends of the slots 13 and the inner side of the hold down ring 11 are in free communication with the spaces between the sinkers, so that the lint may pass freely down between the sinkers. If any lint should collect in the space between the inner ends of the slots 13 and the inner surface of the ring 11, this lint will not in any wise interfere with the forward movement of the sinkers into holding position, and may be readily and quickly removed by the o erator with out requiring the removal 0 the sinkers. Any lint which may collect within the annular recess 12 will not interfere with the forward movement of the sinkers into holding position, and may be readily remove through openings 14 formed in the'sinker rmg.

In order to enable the retaining and guiding slots for'the inner ends of the sinkers to be conveniently and accurately formed,

.these slots are formed in a throat ring 15 which is secured to.the main part of the cylinder, and when in position, forms the upper end of the cylinder. The guiding slots 8 are formed in the upper edge of the throat ring, while the retaining slots 10 are formed in the lower edge of the ring. The lower ed e of the throat ring is recessed on its outer si e to receive an annular rib 16 formed on the upper end of the needle cylinder, and the throat ring is secured in position by a split ring 17 arranged to engage a recess 18 formed in the 1nner side of the throat ring. The split locking ring 17 is clamped in positlonby means of screws 19, as indicated in Fifi 1.

y constructing the sinkers with rear-.

wardly extending retaining or holding down fingers which project radially outward through retaining slots formed in the upper end 0 the needle cylinder, the collection of but which Wlll interfere with the proper operation of the sinker is avoided, and apractically self cleaning sinker is provided which is efficiently held at its inner end against both lateral and vertical movement.

While I prefer to employ the constructio and arrangement of parts shown and described, it will be understood that this construction and arrangement is not essential to the broader features of the invention, and

may be changed and modified without departing from the invention.

Having explained the nature andobject of the invention, what I claim is 1. A circular knitting machine, having, in

' combination, a needle cylinder provided at its upper end with sinker retainin slots, and sinker-s provided with hold down ngers having their free ends extending through the slots rearwardly with relation to the worktaining slots rearwardly with relatlon to the working thrust, substantially as described.

3. A circular knitting machine, having, in combination, a needle cylinder provided at its up er end with a throat ring having radial 5 ots on its upper and lower edges,

means for securin the throat ring within the cylinder, and sin ers extending toward the center of the cylinder through the slots in the upper edge of the ring and provided with ots, and sinkers arranged to extend 1 fingers extending radially outward from the center of the cylinder through the slots in the lower edge of the ring, substantially as described.

4. A circular knitting machine, having, in

combination, a needle cylinder, sinkers,-and retaining and holding down devices; at the inner ends of the sinkers having their opposing shoulders arranged to separate during the advance of the sinkers, substantially as described.

5. A web holding sinker rovided with a hold down finger having its ree end egrtending rearward with relation to the working thrust of the web holder, substantially as described.

6. A web holdin sinker provided at its front end with a ho dv down finger 9 having its free end. extending rearward with relation to the working thrust of the web holder, and with a recess 13 bet'weenthe finger and'the 'body of the web holder, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature,

in presence of two witnesses.

HARRY F. BERRY.

Witnesses:

R. J. JENoKns, Anon T. BURNS. 

